Author: Elizabeth Fisher (Page 3 of 4)

By Nick Baker, sophomore tenor

Major: Marketing w/ concentrations in Human Relations & Information Systems

Minor: Vocal Music

It’s so hard to believe that, just a week ago, the Drake Chamber Choir was leaving Des Moines to cross the pond. Many great things have happened in that time, and I’m certain they will continue for the next four days in London.

After doing two hugely successful concerts yesterday, today seemed like a piece of cake. The choir had a bit of a “lie in” this morning before we had to depart for a tour of King’s College Chapel at Cambridge University. The chapel is quite a sight to behold; it has a truly commanding presence about it, as it rises high above the surrounding buildings. Inside, we were mesmerized by the exquisite stained glass and the magnificent fan vaulting on the ceiling – perhaps the best example of this gorgeous architectural feature in all of England. To top it off, we were lucky enough to hear the organ’s sound ring throughout the vast space. The windows are also fantastic and, unusually, were not smashed out during Henry VIII’s time, as were so many during that period or while Cromwell and his forces held the country.

A tour of Cambridge…

and King’s College Chapel

Following the tour, we had some much needed free time. We split into groups to enjoy our last hours in the city of Cambridge. I was graced with the presence of Tom Florian, Katie Galliart, James Maertens, Chelsea Dubczak, and Sarah Holaway. Lucky for us, it was market day, and we were able to explore the many stalls and experience a variety of different products, from the essential British tourist souvenirs, Cambridge gear, to local jewelry.

Wiped out by the shopping, we went in search of a filling lunch. This is quite a daunting task; Cambridge has a plethora of attractive dining options consisting of the classic British pub, fast food, and cuisine from pretty much every country you can imagine. After striking out at a cute but overcrowded café, we settled for an excellent Italian restaurant called Zizzi. This was a wise choice. We were served freshly baked bread, decadent pizzas, calzones, and some of the best pasta I’ve ever had. What’s more, we unanimously concluded that Zizzi had some of the nicest “loos” we’d ever seen. Apparently the Chamber Choir values nice, clean restrooms.

After the satisfying lunch, our group chose to wander around the winding city streets for a bit longer, taking in all the sights and sounds of Cambridge. We ended up sitting down for a dose of caffeine at Costa Coffee, my favorite coffee shop in the whole world. It was a sunny and rather spring-like day today, and we took advantage of the favorable conditions by sitting at some tables on the sidewalk. We shared laughs and smiles, and grew closer as friends and fellow musicians. I think that the whole choir has experienced the feeling of closeness and belonging that I felt today. We’re kind of like a family.

At the strike of 3:00 PM, the choir was back on the bus ready to depart for our next concert venue at St. Nicholas Church in Witham, Essex. We were told that some people call Essex “the county that God forgot,” but I disagree. It’s actually a lovely place. The landscape is rural, and possesses a certain calm, pastoral beauty that I quite enjoyed. St. Nicholas is a small parish church quite different from the massive cathedrals and chapels that have been our concert venues thus far. It’s an intimate space that’s been around since the 1300s, and although it was not as resonant a space as the cathedrals, it was still a great place to sing.

“Music is the voice of the soul” seemed to be the theme of the night. We used this phrase in a vocalization exercise that challenged us to improvise individually in whatever style, tempo, and key we wished. It was a great way to begin our preparations for the performance and to hear individual voices.

This concert, in my opinion, proved to be the most rewarding thus far. Not only did we sing beautifully, we were lucky enough to meet the audience during the “interval,” which is a time of fellowship between the audience and performers, complete with tea and biscuits (cookies). I had a long conversation with a kind couple from the area who were very excited about our performance. They had attended the concert in 2010 when the Chamber Choir first visited St. Nicholas, and they were thrilled to experience another concert. I even shared a short conversation with the mayor of Witham. This whole “interval” experience proved to be great motivation for the second half of the concert, as our performance was again stellar. Following a standing ovation by the large crowd, the encore performance of Coventry Carolwas the perfect end to a wonderful concert.  Other singers and I were a bit misty while singing the last few measures. I think this was my favorite concert so far, and I’m excited for the next two performances in London.

As I’m finishing this blog post, the bus is winding through the labyrinth of streets that snake through my favorite city in the world, London. There’s a definite sense of excitement as we start seeing the tall buildings that make up the London skyline. With such a wealth of things to do and the prospect of more magical performances in two of the world’s greatest choral venues, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and St. Martin-in- the-Fields, I am positive that the Chamber Choir will make more of the memories that will last a lifetime.

Cheers.

By Kristina Libbey, junior alto

Major: Music Business

Ahoy from Cambridge!

We’ve finally made it to the other idyllic university town of England! We started out a little bit earlier today with an 8:30 bus call. Before catching the bus we were provided another delightful full English breakfast in the classy ballroom of our city centre hotel. Once full of the delicious cereal, yogurt, eggs, and bacon (quite different from the American kind) we took a 45-minute bus trip to Ely Cathedral.  Once we arrived we dropped off our concert attire and got a full tour of this amazing medieval cathedral.

We were split into two tour groups and we learned so much from the delightful guides, who clearly love the cathedral and who had many stories to tell about it and the people who have used it through the ages and who continue to use it fully today.  Our guide was such a joy to learn from. Like many of the other local guides we’ve encountered, she was very excited and joyous to tell us about “her” church, and everything she knew about it. She wanted to make us aware that they have placed all artwork and artifacts, collected over 1500 years, on display.  They don’t like to “keep things in cupboards, hidden away” but instead, want to share this historic and beautiful treasure trove for everyone’s enjoyment.  The Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral (where we sang our afternoon concert) is very well known.  It’s actually unusual in terms of medieval design, as it is quite a large chapel, and is a completely separate room. In the Lady Chapel we also found “touchdown Mary,” a work of art commissioned in celebration of the millennium.  It is a beautiful statue of the Virgin Mary, in which she is portrayed as a very “real” person—young, determined, and with her arms open to the challenges of her life.

After our tour we rehearsed in the Lady Chapel. We discovered what an amazing space it is for singing and has a 7 second reverb. Our rehearsal went swimmingly- we all fell in love with the space right away!  We were also promised this would be the coldest place we would perform- but it was a surprisingly mild day! We surely did luck out! While we were rehearsing, Dave Collier and Dr. Eric Saylor took the tour up to the top of the beautiful octagonal lantern/tower of the cathedral. They had not done the tour on a previous trip and really enjoyed it! We were all really jealous they had the time to get up and see the infrastructure of the astonishing lantern, with its 32 panels of stained glass and painted angels,  the beautiful view of this gorgeous cathedral from within, and also of the surrounding countryside.

After a successful rehearsal, we had a few minutes to find a quick lunch on the High Street. Many people found sandwiches, Panini’s, scones, and potato jackets (a form of loaded potatoes).  Then it was time to jump into our formalwear.  We are getting quite proficient at changing fast in awkward spaces.

Our concert in the Lady Chapel was absolutely phenomenal. We had a large and extremely enthusiastic audience and afterward many of them shared compliments with us. Most of us agreed that this was one of our best concerts of the tour so far.

We left a few minutes late from Ely, running into a small spurt of hail before the remaining sunny bus ride back to Cambridge and to our rehearsal at St. John’s College Chapel.  We had a quick rehearsal at St. John’s Chapel and discussed the amazing concert we’d had earlier and well as reflecting on how to create a “new wonderful” for the concert that evening.   While we were waiting to leave the rehearsal we all joyously joined in an informal sing of Good King Wenceslaus. We were feeling good from this day!  After this we went back to the hotel and had a few hours before the concert to find food and get ready for the performance.

The evening performance at St. John’s College Chapel in Cambridge had a very different feel than the earlier Lady Chapel concert.  (In fact, that has been true of every concert, which is part of the point of touring.) The Chapel, whose choir is one of the two renowned musical establishments at Cambridge University–the other is King’s–is rather dark, shadowy, and round.  It was easy to create a warm sound.  Our audience included Ms. Linda Vanderpool, teaching artist in the Drake Music Department, who was visiting her cousin in Cambridge, as well as university students and townspeople.  One of the listeners was a student whose mother had heard us in Gloucester Cathedral and had phoned him to say that he should not miss our performance.

We are proud to have maintained a high level of consistency on this tour but today we’ve raised the musical standard to an even higher level.  With three performances left, including singing in the prestigious St. Paul’s Cathedral and at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London, as well as in a small town in Essex, we’re eager to challenge ourselves to getting better and better!

Cheerio!

By Christopher Kimpston

Major: BA in Music/Religion

Like much of England that we have seen so far, Coventry is an amalgamation of new and old. New concrete is poured next to ancient stones, and the lines of holy ground and modern convenience stores twist around each other to make up this beautiful country. Coventry provided the ultimate example of this blend of the updated and the timeless.

Coventry University sits across from the cathedral, proudly displaying its ranking as the  “Modern University of the Year” on a sign by the sidewalk. A couple of blocks away, a modern shopping complex sits next to a statue of historic Lady Godiva, immortalized for her kindness to a past generation of Coventry residents. Even the cathedral itself, acknowledged for both its post-WWII rebuilding and untouched ruins, stands as a gorgeous example of a modern country in love with its long history. It was the heart of this building’s convictions, however, that made singing here an unforgettable experience.

Coventry, we learned, is known for its industry. Because of this practical importance, during World War II, the Nazis attacked the city of Coventry with 11 continuous hours of firebombing. The medieval cathedral found itself ablaze amidst these attacks, and most of the ancient structure was destroyed. With both its Cathedral and over 50,000 homes destroyed, the city of Coventry had to rebuild. They would have to account for hundreds of years of lost history in the form of architecture, homes, and personal belongings, and they would have to do it without the family and friends who had been killed in the attack. But first, they did something remarkable.

With pieces of the old church still smoldering, the Cathedral Canon wrote, in chalk, the words “Father, forgive” on the remaining wall behind the altar. The community then prayed for the Nazis, forgiving them for what they had done the previous day. Since then, the church has focused its ministry on the idea of reconciliation, and holds daily prayers for reparative work to be done for all people across the world.

Upon entrance, the new cathedral is quite obviously unlike any other. Behind the alter is a tapestry that stands over 70 feet tall and 30 feet wide, depicting Jesus Christ surrounded by the figures and symbols of the writers of the Gospels. The art is of a much more modern style than any other art we’ve witnessed on this trip, and its sheer size makes it an immediate focus to the eye. The stained glass of the cathedral is hidden to those entering, but when you reach the front and look backwards, however, the diagonal walls give the impression that the walls themselves are made of multicolored light. This position also gives view through the glass back wall, making visible the ruins of the old church. The baptismal fount is carved out of a boulder from Bethlehem, which was delivered by individuals of many faiths, Christian and non-Christians alike, working together to bring the large rock to this specific resting place. The entire facility drips with symbolism, and there was intention behind every facet of construction. The culmination of all of these aspects is the cross over the altar, which is a work of modern art that has two nails tied together in the form of the cross of Jesus’ crucifixion. Surrounding the cross is a figure that represents a phoenix, the mythical bird that is born again out of the ashes. This bird has become a symbol of the city, which has indeed risen out of the ashes of these terrible acts of violence.

As we continue to travel across England, we continue to learn about how residents in a different country go about their lives. In comparison to our customs, there are quirky differences (their McDonald’s drink sizes are much smaller), and more substantive ones (their society functions on a much older foundation of both physical and governmental structures), but there are things that we all can learn on this tour. If we take anything with us back to the United States, however, I hope that it is this message of forgiveness in the face of oppression, patience in the face of frustration, and love in the face of hatred that we saw so embodied in every facet of Coventry Cathedral.

I can speak for other members of Chamber Choir when I say that I will never forget performing “Coventry Carol,” which is a scriptural narration of King Herod’s slaying of innocent children. It is a moving and humbling process that puts your own problems in perspective. I am still processing the magnitude of emotions felt by our performance in Coventry, and will continue to process them for a while. What we experienced here was something that transcends our individual situations, links us to the past, and gives us hope for a forgiving, loving future.

Allison Richter, first-year alto

Major: vocal performance

Another wonderful day in paradise!  Jordan Stammers and I (she is my roommie) woke up to a great view of Coventry, with sunshine, which is rare in England at this time of year.  In the hotel restaurant we fortified ourselves with a full English breakfast, which never disappoints, and were in the coach and on our way by 9:00.

Today’s schedule was a little different for us as a choir because, instead of having an evening concert, our performance today was at noon. But prior to our rehearsal and concert we had time to learn more about Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon, the town of his birth and burial.  We were dropped off near the city center and followed Anita, our tour guide, to visit Shakespeare’s birthplace. At first I had imagined his birthplace to be a cottage somewhere in the English countryside, but I was astonished as I realized that his birthplace was right there near the center of the city, wedged a few streets away between shops and streets.  We learned that his father was a glovemaker and half of the Shakespeare house consisted of the shop and the other of the family’s living quarters.  Our tour of Shakespeare’s birthplace was preceded by a visit to the Shakespeare Center, which, in addition to functioning as a visitor center, is also a research center for scholars from all over the world.

The interpreters at the birthplace shared lots of interesting information not only about Shakespeare but about Tudor life in general.  One of the interpreters was a fine actor who invited us to request any bit of Shakespeare we wanted to hear.  His performance was terrific! One even recited a verse of Shakespeare for us!  It was also interesting to learn that in his later years, when he returned to Stratford, after a hugely successful career as an actor and playwright, Shakespeare  built a new house (now gone) and turned the house of his youth into a pub, called the Swan and Maidenhead.

We then headed for Holy Trinity Church, the site of Shakespeare’s grave (and the church in which he was baptized and, perhaps, was married).  It was also the location of our concert. After the tour had commenced, it was time for our concert. The medieval church itself was very beautiful, and the sunshine streaming in through the clerestory windows created a wonderful glow in the chancel.  Our audience was enthusiastic about our performance and many talked with us afterward.  One audience member was Karen Nichols, a 1977 Drake alumna.  We received very positive comments from her, her husband (also an Iowan who is studying for a Ph.D. in Shakespeare Studies), and many others. One older woman who was talking to us told us we were better than the choirs she listened to on the BBC. What an honor to get such a compliment!

Following the concert we had time to explore Stratford.   A small group of us were starving at that point so we headed to a famous Stratford pub, the Dirty Duck/Black Swan, which is a favorite of the actors of the Royal Shakespeare Company.  My fellow singers ordered fish and chips, and I ordered the macaroni and cheese (which is not as authentic, I know, but was VERY good).  After eating there, we took a walk along the river Avon.

Next, our group visited the Royal Shakespeare Company Centre ,where many Shakespearean plays have been performed over the years. We went on a gallery tour, where we viewed photos of famous actors who had performed as part of the Company. Among them were Kiera Knightley, Jude Law, Daniel Radcliffe, and Daniel Craig. Very neat!

After our afternoon exploration of Stratford we returned to our hotel in Coventry. We had another great buffet-style dinner and afterward talked about our plan for tomorrow’s rehearsal and performance in Coventry Cathedral.  Each section of the choir gathered to discuss and rehearse details we want to sing with even greater artistry at our remaining performances.  England has been a blast so far and this really is the trip of a lifetime.

By James Maertens, sophomore tenor

TV/Radio Broadcast Journalism major

Today the Drake Chamber Choir encountered what will certainly become one of the most dramatic and unusual days in tour history.  It began with an early morning “wake-up call” in the form of a faulty hotel fire alarm.  Waking the students up at a quarter after 1, the choir was left dazed and confused, but unharmed.  But with a full English breakfast in their stomachs, the choir headed for our next destination, Gloucester, a few hours later.

Driving through the picturesque Cotswolds, we stopped to take in several locations of historical interest.  Legendary English royalty, politicians, and musicians lived in the surrounding area.  Our first stop on the way to Gloucester was the burial place of Sir Winston Churchill, in the tiny village of Bladon.  The choir members marveled at the slippery, stone pathway in the midst of grave markers hundreds of years old.  Towards the end of the path we found the headstones of Churchill and his family.  The choir enjoyed the visit, including a self-guided tour of the local parish church.

From Bladon, the choir headed to Burford, a particularly lovely town in the Cotswolds.  This town is full of quaint and interesting shops, a medieval church and cemetery, and plenty of places to get a sweet treat.  A few choir members satisfied their sugar desires with some fudge and other assorted chocolates at The Sweet Shop.  Many other members found antique items and novelty souvenirs.  On our way back to the bus, everyone found a new friend.  A friendly cat made its way onto the road where our coach was parked and quickly became the Chamber Choir mascot.  The choir made it official by naming him Holst, a famous English composer who wrote a piece in our repertoire, I Love My Love.

Back on the bus, the Cotswolds, translated from old English as “houses in the hills,” provided the choir with spectacular and serene views of the English countryside.  This greatly contrasted with the immense Gloucester Cathedral and the lively crowds the city provided. The choir had a couple of hours to enjoy the local cuisine and city sights, before returning to tour the cathedral and prepare for evensong.   Some took advantage of the Cornish pastries, while others checked out the boutiques and shops.

Upon returning to the cathedral, the choir got a tour of this ancient building and a chance to learn the rich history of the sacred space.  The cathedral has stood through nearly a millennium of time and cultural change, including being the burial place of King Edward II to serving as a film location for the Harry Potter franchise.  The architectural splendor and historical importance of the cathedral inspired us in our rehearsal for evensong, an Anglican prayer service, at which we had earned the privilege of singing.  The particulars of the service, combined with the limited time to change into our formalwear, did not faze the choir.  We delivered exceptional music in an astonishingly beautiful acoustic and visual setting.  Jenny Bjoin, Sean Galligan, and Katie Galliart delivered exceptional performances from the solo and cantor roles, respectively.

After a long day, the choir was ready to head to a late dinner at our hotel in Coventry.  There was one small problem: the bus was stuck in the mud from flooding near the coach park.  It took all the perseverance, teamwork, and sheer muscle the choir possessed, along with some plywood and spare pillows, to solve the dilemma.  After loudly cheering the escape of the bus, the choir gladly took their seats for the drive to our next hotel in Coventry.

After checking into their rooms, the choir enjoyed a large buffet in the hotel restaurant.  As I’m writing this post, most of us have finished recovering from the wonders and astonishments the day brought.  At the end of it all, while we lost some time on our sleep, schedules, and even a leather glove (sorry, Mom), we gained a greater understanding of the English culture, a feline friend, and a memory that I’m sure none of us will ever forget.

By Kara Morgan, senior alto

Vocal performance major

We started out the morning with a full English breakfast of fresh fruit, sausage, eggs, seasoned potatoes, and toast after an evening at The Trout, a restaurant just a 20-minute walk from our hotel. The pub was reminiscent of a cozy lodge and a few choirmates hung out on small sofas and stuffed armchairs, enjoying our first taste of laidback English nightlife.

Some of our members took a short walk to a cemetery near the hotel this morning to visit J.R.R. Tolkien’s grave. Avid readers of his books were happy to pay their respects to the beloved author. Jenny Bjoin thought it was cool that such a famous writer is buried in such an unassuming cemetery outside of Oxford, without a huge memorial or any extravagant indication of his identity.

We left the hotel by bus to tour the Oxford city center and after a brief history-lesson-on-the-sidewalk from our tour guide, Anita, we had time to roam on our own. While others took to a popular-looking sidestreet with several shops and cafes, a group of us explored the nearby cobblestone courtyards outside of the Bodleian Library (the main research library for the University of Oxford, which houses more than 120 miles of bookshelves) and the Radcliffe Camera (a huge round building which was designed to be a sort of glorified reading room for Oxford students, named after Dr. John Radcliffe, a physician who looked after Queen Anne).

Some of us found a public entrance to the grounds of Trinity College across the street from Radcliffe Square and, after presenting our Drake IDs, were able to tour a dormitory, the dining hall, the chapel, and their extensive gardens. In a dorm hallway, a bulletin board sported notices for after-school activities. Drake and Trinity seem to be alike in their lively student (and squirrel!) communities.

A group of choirmates reunited at The Eagle and Child, a pub in the city center well known for being the old hangout place of J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, and a group of other Oxford students known as the Inklings.  The pub was lovely and filled with memorabilia from both authors’ accomplished novels, including quotes and illustrations from The Lord of the Ringsand an unopened door in the very back of the building with a sign above it that read “Narnia.” Students were nervous to try the handle for fear they would be sucked inside and never seen again.

As the day turned from slightly overcast to a stereotypical English afternoon—damp and chilly—Anita led us to the University Church of St. Mary the Virgin. She insisted the group climb the narrow stone staircase up to the very top of the St. Mary tower, which gave students a picturesque, panoramic, and breath-taking view of the city of Oxford and its University.

We then went on an Anita-guided tour of Christ Church College, where Harry Potter fans in the choir were able to see, photograph, and pose upon a set of stairs featured in the first film of the series. The Christ Church dining hall, with its four room-length tables and one Head Table at the far end of the room, was in fact J.K. Rowling’s inspiration for Hogwarts’ Great Hall. Also inside the dining hall was a stained glass window commemorating one of Christ Church College’s more famous teachers, Lewis Dodgson, more commonly known as Lewis Carroll. The window featured characters from his best-known works, including miniature depictions of Alice, the Queen of Hearts, the March Hare, the Mad Hatter, and the Dodo Bird.

We performed our first concert of the tour (!!) at Merton Chapel inside Oxford University’s Merton College. The chapel was built in the thirteenth century. Dan Grimsley, a musicologist at Merton, who is a friend of Dr. Saylor and who made an initial contact for us to arrange our concert in the chapel, said of the space, “It’s still pretty young. We’re still testing it out.”

Because the new term at Oxford doesn’t begin until Thursday, our first audience was small . This made the first concert more special, I thought, in that we were able to make a personal connection with each audience member. Afterward, we all gathered just outside the chapel, in front of a gorgeous, brand-new organ (which was just installed in October and was built by the Dobson Organ Company of Lake City, Iowa!) and greeted our audience members, who all responded very positively to our choice of repertoire and our performance.  We had a wonderful time singing and agreed that it was a very strong first performance.  We’re grateful for the privilege of singing in this historic chapel and wonderful acoustic.

We headed back through the wet Oxford streets to our hotel to warm up with dinner and get to bed before an earlier start toward the Cotswolds and Gloucester tomorrow morning!

January 10, 2014
by Tom Florian, senior tenor
major: marketing and finance

Friday came and the group reconvened at 12:15pm at the airport, ready for a long and anticipatory day of travel.
I will forego detailing this portion of our journey for the sake of time, but be assured that everyone arrived safe and sound at London’s Heathrow Airport with all personal belongings!

Upon collecting our luggage, we made our way to the terminal exit and met our wonderful tour guide, Ms. Anita Baker. Jet-lagged, we trekked along to the group travel terminal to load our coach. What a glorious feeling it was to step outside into sunny and 46-degree weather! Once everyone was settled, we started off to Windsor Castle, one of the queen’s official residences, where she stays occasionally during the year. We enjoyed a few hours of free exploration throughout the town. Groups split up and explored the local shops and pubs, walked the castle grounds, visited Eton College, and made their way to the “Long Walk”, which provided a fabulous view of the castle from afar. The noon-hour came and went, fish and chips, sausage and mash, and a host of other English dishes made their way from the kitchen to table settings in front of each choir member. Although we passed McDonald’s and Starbucks, I do not believe anyone set foot in these less than unique establishments.

The sun began to set around the four o’clock hour, 10am for those of you following along in the Midwest. We loaded the motor coach and headed for our place of refuge for the night – The Oxford Hotel. Green grass spread for miles upon miles and the clouds scattered as the yellow-orange sun took its rest beyond the horizon, lighting the sky in shades of red, pink, and purple. This was certain a welcome and picturesque view that starkly contrasted with the dark and cold place from which we had come.

The evening closed with a nice group dinner at the hotel. The gourmet meal brought immense delight, and conversation was lively. However, heads began to fall, and eyelids became heavier than castle drawbridges.  A magnificent day was had by all, but now a restful night had begun to fall.

Good night!